Junior enjoys dream come true: success with golf team

By Pete Mollica

YOUNGSTOWN — Ever since she was in the seventh grade, Katie Rogner knew that she wanted to play golf at Youngstown State University.

Now in her junior season, the former Warren JFK High standout has been enjoying a very successful career with the YSU Women’s golf team under head coach Roseann Schwartz.

Rogner is a two-time team most valuable player, although she shared the honors with freshman Samantha Formeck last season, and has made the All-Horizon League first team the last two seasons, including being named Player of the Year in her freshman season.

“Coach Schwartz first started talking to me about YSU back when I was in the seventh grade, and I really never wanted to go anywhere else but here,” Rogner said. “I just love the school, the program and the teammates and coaches.”

This past Monday, Rogner competed with the Penguins in the YSU Invitational held at The Links at Firestone Farms in Columbiana.

Rogner didn’t have one of her better days, shooting 83 in terrible conditions that included winds over 40 mph, but the Penguins still won the tournament, beating runnerup Bowling Green by four shots.

“That was the worst wind that I’ve ever played in,” said Rogner. “In conditions like that, you just have to take your time, select the right club and then try and figure out just where you want to play the shot. Patience is the key under those conditions.”

In her first two seasons at YSU, Rogner has averaged under 80 both seasons and was medalist at the Horizon League championships her freshman season, shooting the tournament’s low round in the final round of 72. She was fifth at the championships last season, which the Penguins won for the first time, while teammate Samantha Formeck, also a freshman, took medalist honors.

“This is really a talented team, and we are fortunate to have four players returning from last year’s championship team,” Rogner added. “We’ve also added a very good freshman, who has come in and really played well.”

“Everyone is playing so well right now, and after last year’s win, we have even more confidence going into the tournament this year,” she added.

The Penguins will defend their Horizon League title April 24-25 in Lexington, Ky.

Rogner feels that the strongest part of her game is her attitude.

“There aren’t a lot of things that bother me,” she added. “I can usually shake off a three-putt or a missed shot and just get ready for the next shot, and that has been very helpful in the past.”

Rogner, who has played every round and in every tournament that YSU has played since she walked onto campus, is still uncertain about her future. The engineering major would like for it to be something in golf.

“I’m really not sure yet, but I’d love to stay in golf somewhere,” she said. “I don’t know about professional golf because it is so tough.”

Just last month, Rogner playing on the TaylorMade-Adidas Collegiate Tour, walked away with the tour championship in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the Travis Pointe Country Club.

Rogner, who was tied for the tournament lead going into the final round, shot a one-over-par 73 the last day and won the event by eight strokes.

She’ll be in action along with the rest of the Penguins this weekend when they compete in the Penn State Invitational in University Park, Pa., on Saturday and Sunday.

mollica@vindy.com

Katie Rogner

Class: Junior

Hometown: Warren

High School: Warren JFK

Freshman: Played all 24 rounds and 11 tournaments. Was the team’s most valuable player and the Horizon League’s Player of the Year and also the Newcomer of the Year and a first-team All-Horizon League selection. She had a team-best average of 78.5 and was YSU’s top finisher in all 11 tournaments. She was medalist at the Horizon League Championships shooting rounds of 78-89-72; the last round was her low round of the season.

Sophomore: Played all 20 rounds and nine tournaments and was the medalist at the YSU invitational, shooting a one-over-par 73. She finished fifth at the Horizon League Championships, which the Penguins won, and she was named to the All-Horizon League first team. Her season average was 79.8

High School: Finished fourth in the Division I Individual state championships shooting 74-79 at the Scarlet Course in Columbus. She was the Steel Valley Conference medalist her last three years and shot a school record 71 for 18 holes. She averaged 77.9 throughout her high school career.

Source: YSU sports information